Many donors don’t fully appreciate the potential tax savings that can come from charitable giving. Not only is the timing of the gift important, but how the gift is made (whether in cash or securities) also has an impact on the possible tax benefits.

Since our firm was founded in 1991, we have experienced eight unique election cycles and four (soon to be five) different U.S. presidents. As we approach the November 8th presidential election, many investors may be feeling anxious about the outcome of the vote and any potential effect it may have on the stock market. As the media continues to produce headlines and forecasts designed to invoke fear, we provide some perspective on this important topic.

2016 began with a bang (in a bad way) — with the stock market falling in a hurry. In fact, it was the worst 10 day start to a calendar year in history. From the beginning of the year to January 15th, the U.S. stock market (as measured by the S&P 500 Index) had dropped over 8%. The S&P 500 hit its low for 2016 on February 11th, 6 closing at 1829.08, a decline in excess of 10.5% for the year.